The notes

This time I was very good: I took notes well!

They always told me that at school, in order not to forget the lesson, I had to write some notes in a notebook. So in rereading it, I would have fixed the topic in my mind.

I think I have mountains of notebooks full of words, which put together would become the object of study for a graphologist, but since a bit of confusion remained in my mind, during the conference on the “politically correct” topic, I was very careful.

So in my notes, I read: ideological and cultural orientation of extreme respect towards all needs to avoid offending certain categories of people. Terminologies like: African American replaces black; assisted = patient; deaf = hearing impaired; school assistant = janitor; ecological operator = garbage man… etc., etc.

All clear and easy, right? I go outside for a moment to buy a packet of sweets and as I am about to cross the street on the pedestrian crossing, a moped cuts the road and almost also my legs. I stop frightened, I listen to the heart that in an instant has reached my throat and I hear the echo of that madman reaching my hearing:

“Are you blind? Take a good look before crossing… you’re handicapped.”

Something is not right… yet I was careful. So if I don’t belong to a specific category, is this politically correct not valid?

The confusion increases! What is the use of learning the lesson, if it can then be reinterpreted to one’s liking?

With bitterness, I learn that in the land of contradictions, everything and its opposite is valid.

I close the notebook and I think that there’s no need to change the terminology to make it less offensive or less aggressive, of course, words have weight, but it is the respect with which we place ourselves towards someone or something that makes the difference.